Modern medical technology has produced a wide range of body implantable devices. These devices can be used for low risk treatment and diagnosis of a wide range of medical conditions. In one example, implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICDs) are well-known and effective devices for treating patients with cardiac rhythmic dysfunction. A typical ICD includes a pulse generator and an electrical lead with an electrode at the tip. The ICD implantation procedure generally takes about two hours and is relatively low risk, as it rarely requires open-heart surgery. Usually, one or two lead wires are placed through a large vein in the chest and threaded down to the inside of the heart. The lead wires are then connected to the pulse generator, which is placed in a pocket under the skin of the patient.
The details of the implantation procedure vary depending on the technique used and the patient's condition, but typically a guiding catheter is introduced through a major blood vessel such as the cephalic vein. The catheter is then moved through the vasculature to locate an access vessel of interest in the heart, such as the coronary sinus ostium. The catheter can be used alone or in combination with a guide wire. After the coronary sinus ostium has been located by the guiding catheter, an ICD lead can be inserted through the catheter and over the guide wire into the coronary sinus or one of its branches.
After the device is successfully planted, the guide catheter must be removed from the patient. This removal operation creates a risk of dislodging the ICD lead because of the forces applied by the retracting catheter against the lead. Needless to say, dislodging the lead would be problematic, as it requires additional time to reseat the lead. Any such time added to the procedure would be needlessly traumatic to the patient.
There is a need for a method and apparatus for securing a newly implanted lead device while a guiding apparatus is removed, thereby reducing procedure time and patient trauma. The present invention fulfills this and other needs, and addresses other deficiencies of prior art implementations and techniques.